Cell culture systems of animal cells, in particular mammalian cells (including human cells), is important for the production of many important (genetically engineered) biological materials such as vaccines, enzymes, hormones and antibodies. The majority of animal cells are anchorage-dependent and require attachment to a surface or cell culture support for their survival and growth.
Cell attachment also plays an important role in medical applications such as wound treatment (including artificial skin materials), bone and cartilage (re)growth and implantations and artificial blood vessel materials. Thus in medical applications often the demand is that a material, such as an implant or transplant material, comprises a biocompatible coating in terms of cell attachment.
Another area of interest in relation to cell attachment is the blocking of attachment receptors of cells. For instance by blocking the attachment receptors cancer metastasis may be influenced or inhibited, platelet aggregation may be influenced in antithrombotic compositions and tissues adhesion may be prevented, e.g. after surgery, or may be promoted, e.g. for dental products or other medical products.
In US 2006/0241032 RGD-enriched gelatin-like proteins with a minimum (increased) level of RGD motifs and with a certain distribution of said RGD motifs are disclosed that were found to be highly suitable for cell adhesion and cell binding in medical and biotechnological applications. The cell binding peptides described therein have good cell attachment properties.
There is however always the need for further improvements of materials for use in applications involving cell attachment. The instant invention provides improved gelatine-like polypeptides, which are particularly useful for cell attachment.